Loose leaf binder



June 18, 1935.

R. M. WATSON 2,005,573

LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed Sept. 22, 1934 INVENTOR. fi/c/m ED P7. W/mso/v ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 18, 1935 STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to loose leaf binders. The invention has as its principal objects provision of a new structure in loose leaf binders and a new method of making and assembling of metallic parts of the binder back.

The invention is particularly applicable for use withcurved backed binders but is also useful with binders having straight backs. Loose leaf binders of the type contemplated are now made largely with curved backs so that they have more of the appearance of a book. When the metal parts of an ordinary loose leaf binder structure are attached to a curved back, long rivets have heretofore been necessary due to the clearance between the back and the metal base for the holding rings formed by the curved back. The binder backs are usually of material of no particular strength, such as paper composition or fiber, treated so as to have the desired finish, or perhaps covered with leather or cloth, and in order to relieve the strain on the curved back so that the same will not collapse, it has been necessary to use an insert between the binder back and the base for the rings. In placing the rivets in position this necessitates a sort of fishing operation as the rivets have to be passed through an aperture in the insert and'another aperture in the base spaced from the aperture in the insert. With the present invention this difficulty in rivet insertion is eliminated, and only short rivets are used. This materially facilitates manufacture and cheapens the ultimate cost of the binder to the consumer.

The invention also contemplates a binder wherein the number of metal parts are held to a 'minimum, and wherein holding devices such as rivets or the like are concealed from view. Also, the over all thickness of the base for the ring structure is minimized. The method comprises a few easily made Steps, to the end that manufacture and assembly are simplified. Briefly, the invention includes the use of holding devices to be secured to the binder back and flush against the back so that there is no tendency of the back to be collapsed or to be pulled out of line by the rivets. The base for the openable rings is attached to these holding devices, and this is accomplished in a novel manner, so that the holding devices and rivets are entirely concealed and the 'basesecurely held in position on the binder sothat it is not removable or shiftable.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the under side of a. binder metal, including a base member, and showing the articulating portions of the openable rings.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a holding member.

Fig. 3 is a view showing a binder with the holding members attached thereto.

Fig l shows the manner in which the binder metal is attached to the holding members.

Fig. 5 shows a modified form of the method.

6 shows the completed binder and illustrates the location of the holding members, relative to the base member and the rings.

Fig. 'l is a view of a completed curved back binder.

The base member, as shown in Fig. 1, may cornprise a suitable sheet metal strip having a back I. The edges of the strip I are fashioned into curved formation along the intermediate portion, as shown at 2, while the edges near opposite ends are left substantially straight or perpendicular to the back, which is shown at 3. At the end the strip is bent to form end walls 4. Thus the base member is of trough or recess formation on its under side. This base member is equipped with openings therein, as shown at 5, along opposite edges, and the openable ring members 6 project through these openings. These ring members may be formed of wire fashioned to provide parts i, which rock in the curved portions 2 of the side edges and to provide interengaging parts 8, which articulate upon each other upon the opening and closing of the rings, and so arranged that the tension is such as to hold the rings either closed or opened as the articulating portions 8 move across the center line. This ring structure, however, is old. Where three or more rings are desired, ring members 9, separate from the wire forming the ring members 6, may be passed through apertures in the base, and may be welded or otherwise secured to the portions 1, as illustrated at It.

Securing or holding devices are used, one of which is shown in Fig. 2. These holding devices may be fashioned from sheet metal stock having a body portion 15 with the sides fashioned somewhat angularly, as shown at it, to give the same some depth, and end portions !8' positioned substantially at right angles to the body portion and advantageously separated from the side wings it by notches IS. The body portion is provided with an aperture 20. The wings l8 are preferably shaped to fit the recessed side of the base.

The binder is illustrated as having a binder covering comprising a cover 2| and another cover 22 joined at hinged lines to a back 23. The attaching devices I5 are secured to the binder back r preferably by means of rivets, and each fastening device, as shown at 2 passes through the binder back and is riveted through the aperture 23. This is illustrated in Fig. 3.

This completes the description of the structure, and it remains to specify how the base i is attached to the binder back 23. This is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. The covers 2! and '22 may be bent backward relative to the back 23 and then the base i is positioned so that the holding devices 55 rest within the endportionsof the base between the walls 3 and 5. This is permitted because the Walls 3 are left substantially straight and are not curved to restrict the entrance of the fastening devices into the space provided therefor. With the parts thus positioned punches or dies A move toward each other and fashion the walls 3 around the fastening devices. The body portions of the fastening devices preferably lie flush against the back 23 of the binder covering, so that the back takes no strain. The wings E8 of the fastening devices are preferably shaped to conform to the cross-sectional form of the base, and the angular portions l6 preferably fit snugly against the walls 3 when they are positioned by the die A. It will be appreciated that this assembly may be quickly made by positioning the parts, as shown in Fig. 4, in a suitable machine for actuating the dies A. In Fig. one wall 3 is of curved formation and is hooked over one side of the fastening devices and the other wall 3 left straight, so that only one die is needed at each end of the base member.

The finished article is illustrated in Fig. 6, and it will be noted that the fastening devices lie substantially flush or in close proximity to the end walls 4, thus preventing lengthwise movement of the base, and holding the same securely positioned. The base member has no rivets passing therethrough, and accordingly presents a smooth, unbroken surface. Inasmuch as the fastening devices l5 lie within the base and are positioned substantially in the plane occupied by the articulating portions l and 8 of the wire members, the base member may be positioned relatively close to the back of the binder, thus minimizing the over all height and lending to the attractiveness of the binder.

Fig. '7 illustrates a binder with itscovers properly positioned, and it will be noted that the holding members he flush against the curved back. This structure not only prevents collapsing of the back, but the holding devices contact the inside surface and actually serve to reinforcethe back. In some instances, particularly where the binder is large to take a thick stack of sheets or where the curvature of the back is on a fairly small radius, the body-portions of the holding devices may be formed with such curvature so that the same more readily adapt themselves to the curvature in the back and serve to maintain such curvature in the back. Of course, the invention is not limited to binders with curved backs, but may be used with binders with straight backs, in which event the rivets are concealed and the binder back is likewise reinforced.

I claim:

1. A loose leaf binder structure comprising, a base member of sheet material having opposed curved side walls with the concave surfaces thereof facing each other, ring structure comprising openable rings and portions rockable in said concave'surfaces of the said curved side walls, a binder covering having front and back covers and a back portion, a pair of holding devices, one for each end of the base, and secured substantially flush against the back portion, said holding devices being positioned one at each end of the base and located between the said curved side walls, and said curved side walls passing over and around portions of the holding devices to secure the base to the back portion of the binder covering, and end walls on the base, said fastening devices positioned respectively in close proximity to said end walls to hold the base member against lengthwise movement relative to the binder covering.

2. A loose leaf binder structure comprising a sheet metal base member having curved side walls and end walls, ring structure comprising openable ring members and portions within the base rockable on said curved side walls, said curved portions terminating short of the ends of the base, a binder covering having front and back covers and a back portion, a pair of holding devices positioned flush against the back portion of the binder covering near opposite ends of the back portion and secured thereto, said holding devices being positioned within the base member and in the end portions thereof beyond said rockable portions of the ring structure, and said side walls fashioned over said holding devices, and said end walls lying in close proximity to the holding devices to secure the base and ring structure to the binder covering.

3. The method of assembling a loose leaf binder metal to a binder covering having front and back covers and an intermediate back portion joined to the covers on hinged lines, which comprises securing holding devices to the back portion of the binder covering and substantially flush against the inside surface thereof, folding the covers on said hinged lines substantially backwardly to expose the inside surface of the back portion, positioning the binder metal over said holding devices, then fashioning portions of the binder metal over said fastening devices to secure the same to the back portion of the binder covering.

4. The method of attaching to the back portion of a binder covering having front and back covers joined to the back portion, a binder metal,

having a sheet metal base and supporting openable ring members, and having side walls running lengthwise of the base, which comprises fastening a pair of holding devices to the back portion of the binder covering near opposite ends thereof, positioning the said base over said holding devices, with the holding devices lying within the said walls thereof, and then fashioning the side walls of the base member over said holding devices to secure the base member to the binder covering.

5. The method of attaching to the back portion of a binder covering having front and back covers joined to the back portion by hinge lines, a binder metal having a sheet metal base and supporting openable ring members, and having side walls running lengthwise of the base, and having end walls, which comprises, fastening a pair of holding devices to the back portion of the binder covering near opposite ends thereof, positioning the said base over said holding devices, with the holding devices lying within the side walls thereof, and with the holding devices respectively in close proximity to the end Walls, and then fashioning the side walls of the base member over said holding devices to secure the base member to the binder covering.

6. The method of making a loose leaf binder which comprises, forming a base member of sheet metal with side walls running lengthwise thereof on opposite edges and with end walls, shaping the intermediate portions .of the side walls into inwardly curved form, and mounting articulating portions of openable ring members therein, leaving the end parts of said side walls substantially straight, securing fastening devices to a back portion of a binder covering having front and back covers, folding said covers substantially backwardlyto expose the inner face of the back portion, passing the base member over said fastening devices so that the fastening devices rest between the straight portions of the side walls and in close proximity to the end walls, and then forcing the said straight portions of the side walls over said fastening devices to thus secure the base member with its rings to the binder covering.

'7. A loose leaf binder structure comprising, a binder covering having a back portion and front and back covers, a base member of sheet material having side walls extending along opposite edges and adapted to be placed against the back portion of the binder covering with the back of the base member spaced from the back portion of the binder covering, ring structure carried by the base member comprising openable ring members having portions lying under the back of the base member and rockable on said side walls, holding devices secured directly to the back portion of the binder covering and on the inner surface thereof, one holding device being positioned adjacent one end of the said back portion of the binder covering and another holding device positioned adjacent the opposite end of said back portion of the binder covering, said holding devices having parts parts of the holding devices to secure the basemember to the binder covering, and means on the base member cooperating with the holding devices to hold the base member from lengthwise movement relative to the holding devices and back portion of the binder covering.

RICHARD M. WATSON. 

